As we explore a different Royal Christmas Broadcast each day from 1 to 24 December, we are able to see both personal, family moments and public events marked. In 1934, King George V added a real family touch to his Christmas speech, only the third he had ever made.  

On 29 November 1934, Prince George, Duke of Kent, married Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark in the society event of the year. King George V and Queen Mary were happy to celebrate their youngest surviving son’s marriage as their eldest son, Edward, then Prince of Wales, remained unmarried. 

King George V said ”I would like to think that you who are listening to me now… we are bound to me and to one another by the Spirit of one great Family. The Queen and I were deeply moved by the manner in which this Spirit was manifested a month ago at the marriage of our dear son and daughter. ”

Notably, His Majesty took care to specifically speak to his subjects outside of Great Britain and assure them of his dedication and well-wishes, saying ”Through them the Family has become a Fellowship of free Nations, and they have carried into their own homes the memories and traditions of the Mother Country.”

King George began his Christmas broadcast in 1932.